The present invention relates to a method for reducing the evolution of halogenated phenol vapors from wood.
In the construction of articles from wood, the wood is often treated with a preservative and/or antimicrobial agent to reduce the possibility of microbial deterioration and insect infestation of the wood. Of the various preservatives, including creosote and metal arsenates such as copper-chrome arsenate, pentachlorophenol is widely employed in treating wood due to its ease of application, its effectiveness as a preservative and the retention by the treated wood of its natural characteristics following application. Unfortunately, pentachlorophenol treated wood tends to release pentachlorophenol vapors to the atmosphere.
Heretofore, to reduce the vaporization of pentachlorophenol from the penta treated wood, the wood has been coated with a paint, resin, wax or the like to seal the wood from the atmosphere. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,511,691 and 3,061,508.) Although the coating initially reduces the release of pentachlorophenol from the wood, its effectiveness is generally dependent on maintaining a sufficient coating integrity, with increasing amounts of pentachlorophenol vapor being released as the film's integrity deteriorates. Moreover, in many cases, the coating destroys the desired natural appearance of the wood.
Therefore, in view of the undesirable features inherent in the prior art for reducing the volatility of pentachlorophenol in wood, it is highly desirable to provide a method for reducing the amounts of pentachlorophenol evolved from wood treated therewith without impairing the natural beauty of the wood.